FIG. 1 depicts a conventional perpendicular magnetic recording (PMR) head 10 and a conventional PMR medium 20. The conventional PMR head 10 may include a read transducer 12 and a write transducer 14. The conventional PMR medium 20 includes bits 22 each of which has a magnetization 24. The conventional PMR medium 20 may be one which is configured to be used heat assisted magnetic recording is used. Consequently, a heat source 30, which may also be part of the head 10, is also shown.
FIG. 2 depicts a conventional method 50 for using the conventional PMR medium 20. The conventional head source 30 is used to heat the conventional PMR medium 20 to near the Curie temperature of the material in the region of the bit being recorded, via step 52. Consequently, the magnetization of the bit being recorded drops to near zero. While the conventional PMR medium 20 is heated, a magnetic field in the desired direction of the magnetization 24 of the bit is applied to the bit being recorded, via step 54. The bit 22 being recorded is cooled in the presence of the field, via step 56. Consequently, the magnetization 24 of the bits 22 can be set in the desired direction.
Although the conventional PMR medium 20 may be recorded using the conventional method 50, one of ordinary skill in the art will readily recognize that the conventional method may not function as desired. The conventional PMR medium 20 is believed to undergo switching through coherent rotation. Such switching typically requires a large switching field and may result in poor writeability. Consequently, the method 50 heats the PMR medium 20 to near the Curie temperature. In order to do so, the local temperature of the conventional PMR medium 20 may rise to above five hundred degrees Celsius in the region of the bit 22 being recorded. Such a high temperature typically consumes a large amount of power. In addition, lubricants that might otherwise be used for the conventional PMR medium 20 may not function at such high temperatures. Consequently, the conventional PMR medium 20 and the conventional PMR recording head 10 using the conventional heat source 30 may be unreliable.
Accordingly, what is needed is a system and method for improving heat assisted magnetic recording.